In 1986, Australia II was the trial horse for the America’s Cup Defence 1987 Ltd., “Bond
Syndicate” of the Royal Perth Yacht Club.

“The day of her maiden voyage was a major occasion. The place was
packed, and Benny (Ben Lexcen) was floating somewhere between the dock and
seventh heaven. It was a heart-warming sight. Here was this huge, good-natured,
slightly chaotic man, who can swear like a drunken bushwhacker, walking around
as if on air, with his arms often spread wide before his new creation, as if
conducting a Vivaldi concerto. In his considered view, Australia II made all
other boats seems ugly”.

It’s John Bertrand the skipper of Australia II that
described this beautiful scene. Nevertheless, when he discovered on spring 1981
the drawings and the model of the challenger endowed with his upside-down
winged keel, it was necessary all the enthusiasm of Ben Lexcen and Alan Bond to
turn down his skepticism.

The hidden winged keel of Australia II

Some are still involved in controversy to know who invented the famous
keel of Australia II … that matter! Because Ben Lexcen's brilliant blow is to
have had the cap to fix such an appendage to the hull of the boat. But how did
it happen? In 1980, the NYYC authorized the Australians to use the Dutch tank
test of Wageningen. Lexcen spent there 4 months, at the beginning of 1981, with
Dutch engineers Peter Van Oossanen and Joop W. Sloff. Ben designed the drawings
of Challenge 12, a conventional design, after having tested 7 models (one third
scale), and then he passed to Australia II (more than 400 tests, calculations
of keel in 3 D, several hundreds of hours of simulations). The result was
surprising: the boat was faster than a conventional twelve and Bond had really
got the risk to make build Australia II.

The Magic Keel

At her maiden sail, John Bertrand discovered the exceptional
maneuverability of the boat. Several reasons in it: the bustle had almost
disappeared; the presence of an inverted keel; the existence of thick fins
fixed on each side of the appendage and peaking down at about 20 degrees (what
increases the draft when heeling and reduces the drifting and increases the
stiffness. This approach decreased appreciably the wetted surface than any
other Twelve. Lexcen so obtained a very "light" displacement and the
shortest waterline ever measured on such a boat! Beyond, the performance of
Australia II was also explained by the talent of the New Zealand sailmaker Tom
Schnackenberg who had taken care of the totality of the sail program (40
genoas, 10 mainsails, fifty spinnakers), without forgetting the qualities of
the crew. This cocktail explained 48 wins in 55 races sailed by Australia II
during the 1983 season…

In 1983, the challenger had benefited from the support of the press and
from the public. It was true that chaste skirt of green canvas
"threaded" after every race of the yacht had very fast incited the
curiosity of all. The first successes of Australia II in Louis Vuitton Cup had
only been adding to the craze. The late and fruitless operations of the NYYC to
demonstrate that the keel was not an Australian invention or that it did not
enter in the rule were only adding to the confusion of Dennis Conner and Liberty
crew. And to strengthen the confidence of the men of Australia II who took away
the Cup at the conclusion of a series of 7 races of anthology.

The ultimate race, September 25th, 1983. Australia II wins the Cup!

Having served as trial horse in the defense at Fremantle in 1986, the
boat was on display in National Maritime Museum of Sydney. In the 1990s, the
State government of Western Australia succeeded in getting back Australia II,
which sailed in August, 2001 in regatta of the Jubilee of Cup, at Cowes, served
by the quasi-totality of the crew which had led her to the victory in 1983.
Australia II is henceforth a part of collections of the Western Australian
Maritime Museum of Fremantle!

Ben Lexcen, Australia II's designer & Alan Bond with the Cup

John Bertrand, Australia II's skipper & Alan Bond

AUSTRALIA
II

1983

Sail number: KA 6

Australia.

Royal Perth Yacht Club

Challenger, winner of the 25th
America’s Cup 1983 (won the last 7th race, sailed on September 25,
1983)

Christened: June 6th,
1982 by Eileen Bond at Fremantle, Sailing Club in Success Harbor.

Original Skipper: John Edwin
Bertrand

Tactician: Hugh Treharne

Navigator: Grant Simmer

Crew: 11.

Data:

Hull material: aluminum

Mast: aluminum, fabricated by Steve
Ward from Ben Lexcen’s designs.

Boom: carbon fiber, weighting 32
kilos (2 built)

Sails: kevlar/mylar laminated

Keel: lead, designed by Ben Lexcen.
Mould built in Sydney. Keel cast at Perth in one piece. Lexcen applied for
patents for his keel on February 5th, 1982 at the International
Patents Office in The Hague. He had previously tried wings on dinghies and 5.5
Meter.

Dimensions:

1987

1987

On display at the National Maritime Museum,
Sydney, Australia, then on display at the Western
Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle, Western Australia.

2001

The Cowes, Isle of Wight, regatta
sailed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the America’s Cup in
August 2001 was scheduled to be Australia II’s final sailing event. Came second
(twelve meter fleet) in the historic “Round the Island” 2001 race. Australia II
was given the honor ob being named the yacht that had brought the greatest
benefit to the sport of yachting by participating in the America’s Cup Jubilee
Regatta.

Since 2001 till now

Australia II is the centerpiece of
the new Western Australian Maritime Museum, in her homeport of Fremantle.